A visit to a breathtaking village sitting atop a hillside overlooking a beautiful valley, Le Rennes, and one of the most controversial little churches in history. This is the church dedicated to St. Mary Magdala, built and lovingly maintained by the villagers and is host to flocks of visitors who have come to see the place where mysteries lie. I found a great write up of this place online:
Rennes-le-Château is a small village perched on a hilltop near Couiza in the Aude. It has become world famous in the last few years following the publication of a series of books. These books are about a mystery concerning the village, and a nineteenth century priest, Abbé Beranger Saunière, who lived there.Fifteen hundred years ago it was a thriving city of 20,000, perhaps 30,000 inhabitants. It was then a huge walled city, a Visigothic capital, the administrative centre of a vast area now called the Razès.Towards the end of the nineteenth century the priest of this little community, whose official stipend amounted to the equivalent of some £5 per year, suddenly became very rich. He refurbished his church at great cost, if in questionable taste. He built a splendid new house, and the present road up to the village, and a tower to provide drinking water to everyone in the village, and a folly to house his personally library. Where did the money come from? His bishop tried to find out, but without success.Over the years many other, less prosaic, theories have been put forward. The whole thing took off in the 1970s, long after the priests' death. Books were written in French and then in English about the mystery. Television programmes were made. One book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail sold millions. Visitors started coming to see for themselves.
Theories became ever more fanciful. The priest had been selling Black Masses. He had discovered historical documents so damaging to the Church that he had been paid off by the Vatican. He had discovered buried treasure while rooting around under the ancient high altar. The question of where treasure might have come from opened new vistas for active imaginations. It was King Solomon's treasure taken from the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans, later stolen from Rome by the Visigoths and brought to this remote capital for safekeeping. According to some, this treasure included the Ark of the Covenant. Alternatively, the treasure was a secret cache smuggled out of the Cathars' final stronghold in the thirteenth century shortly before its owners were burned alive. This stronghold at Montsegùr is reputed to a have been the original Grail Castle, so obviously the treasure would have included the Holy Grail. Yet another possibility was that it was the treasure of the Knights Templar, hidden there in the early fourteenth century when the King of France tried to seize the Templars' fabulous wealth for himself.
A few years ago treasure hunters were turning up with picks and spades, setting about public roads and undermining private buildings. Locals would wake up in the morning to find holes in their gardens, sometimes disturbingly large ones.
To the left is the mansion built by the Abbe, and down the walkway to the entrance to the church itself.
The view is breathtaking.
Interior of the church and altar. The stories say that the Abbe found the Templar treasure underneath the original altar stone.
Everywhere you look, there are gift shops and restaurants, all hidden beyond these little archways and entrance gates.
Jan in a bookshop - the only place she's happy to be left alone for hours..... after reading two books set in this area of France, including Limoux, Carcassonne and here in Rennes Le Chateau, she couldn't wait to visit and see. The books, written by Kate Mosse, "Labyrinth" and "The Sepulchre" are bestsellers in this region - Janet actually came back here to see the author, who was doing a book signing here...
The views from the village and church were awesome
Up the centuries old steps into the village from the church and buildings
Streets in Rennes Le Chateau only wide enough for one car, lots of tourist traffic, as this place was also featured in DaVinci Code as well. Lots of mystery surrounding this place, like Templar treasures....
Around the front of the church and buildings, a small pathway, which we followed back into the village - incredibly ancient foundations.
No picnic here today!
Entering the mansion - the Abbe Sauniere was eventually excommunicated from the Church, but refused to stop conducting mass - he included a small chapel built at the back of the mansion, and villagers still came to attend his services.
Inside the luxurious mansion that the Abbe had built. He actually never lived here, but entertained very powerful and famous artists, politicians and landowners here.
Inside the luxurious mansion that the Abbe had built. He actually never lived here, but entertained very powerful and famous artists, politicians and landowners here.
A locked room chock full of treasures, paintings and artifacts that were a part of the decorations in the mansion.
Original vestements worn by the Abbe, and other articles preserved in the gallery room. How cool is this?
